The Firebrand
by Scandalous Behavior
Summary: A young sorceress has to protect her charge of the Dragon Lord from a God while fighting to keep a promise to a dead friend that concerns the most impossible Redfern every born, Ash
1. How It Happened

The Firebrand  
  
Prologue: How It Happened  
  
Written by: Scandalous Behavior  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
The embers snapped and popped as the engulfed building fell on itself as the fire rose higher into the midnight sky. The black smoke danced as it lifted and twisted in the night air, while six people watched helplessly while it happened. Kahneta Road would never be the same, the town of Briar Creek was already heading to the fire with the roaring echo of the single fire engine heading this way.  
  
Out of the fire was a girl with her arms holding the figure of an unconscious female, dark hair slipping over the younger girl's arm and as the girl walked down the collapsing porch stairs the six ran up to her. Taking the dark haired girl out of her arms was that girl's brother, Mark. Gently placing the head of his elder sister in his lap as he looked concerned to the girl that had gone into the inferno.  
  
"Is she going to be alright?" his question was the one on everyone's minds.  
  
"Honestly, I wish I could say she was but Mark," the rescuer sighed regretfully, "the blow she took was enough to kill anyone and that she hung on this long is due to her own stubbornness. I'm sorry."  
  
Meaningful glances passed between three girls standing in the group. Each complete opposite of the other that it was hard for anyone to think of them as sisters. The eldest at nineteen was Rowan; gentle, slim, tall with cinnamon-brown eyes and warm brown hair, who swallowed hard at the meaning behind her two younger sisters' looks. One way to save the girl that was their blood-bonded sister would make her into one of them, a vampire, yet she could not fathom that was what Mary-Lynnette Carter would want.  
  
"Are you gonna do it or what?" Kestrel, all golden with eyes amber and hawklike, wondered.  
  
"Please, Rowan, we have to," Jade, the youngest, pushed a straying white- blond hair behind her ear pleading with her green eyes, "think of Ash."  
  
At the mention of Mary-Lynnette's soulmate and their eldest brother, Rowan paused. Having heard that when a soulmate dies it practically destroys the other person Rowan was at an impasse. Her brother would hate to lose Mary- Lynnette and would probably go a little crazy if it happened.  
  
"No,..." Mary-Lynnette's voice came coughing, ".....Don't, Rowan."  
  
Mark couldn't understand why his sister wouldn't want to do this.  
  
"Mare, you are going to die if you don't." Mark protested.  
  
Blue eyes met blue eyes determination in the pits of Mary-Lynnette's.  
  
"I have to........Ally?"  
  
Mark searched out the girl that had saved his sister from burning alive in the Carter family's home only to have her want to die rather than become a creature of the night. Ally, as Mare called her, stopped talking to her two companions and came closer to Mary-Lynnette. Smiling sadly, Ally knelt down.  
  
"Yeah, Mare?"  
  
"Promise you'll be careful, if he finds you again...."  
  
"Mare, don't talk you need to save your strength till we get you to a doctor."  
  
"No.....I won't make it anyhow...I know it," Mare's slightly burnt right hand caught onto Ally's left wrist in a grip that the girl could easily break if she wanted to but chose not to, "promise me you won't take any more foolish chances...he almost got you this time...."  
  
"Stop worrying about me, you stupid human," Ally angrily shouted, that the girl was more worried about keeping Ally safe than the fact that was she laying on the ground dying.  
  
"Ally, don't shout at her." Mark yelled.  
  
"Ash....." Mare's eyes filled with tears at the thought of losing the one guy she loved more than anything, "you have to make me a promise..."  
  
Behind Ally, her two companions watched as Ally could only nod.  
  
"Ash is too strong but this might cause him to do something he'll regret, promise me you'll make sure he doesn't.....He won't listen to anyone and you are the only one I know that is like him...."  
  
"Mare, you don't know what you're asking...."  
  
"Promise me, Ally."  
  
No way of knowing just how much that would eventually cost her, Ally agreed.  
  
Mare let her grip on the other girl's wrist loosen. As cars pulled up, the Sheriff along with Fire Department were running out. Water blasted at the too far gone house while an ambulance skidded to a stop as Ally watched the girl she considered one of her only true friends breath in one last time and then her whole body went limp. In the eyes of the three vampire sisters were tears as was Mark's as his sister died, one of Jade's hands in his unoccupied one that still held Mary-Lynnette's head. Ally used a finger to brush the tears that welled up away before standing, turning on the heel of her black leather boot clad foot and cast her companions a menacing glare.  
  
"He'll pay for this, I swear."  
  
The only other guy of the group seemed about the same age group as Ally, around seventeen, with green-black hair that was long in the front falling into his eyes a lot and emotionless black-colored eyes watched the girl who was his protector. While beside him was a brown-blond haired girl with a cat-like grace eyes dilating into slits of dark gray, hostility and anger in every edge of the lioness shifter's body.  
  
"What the hell happened here?! Is everyone alright?" Sheriff Akers interrupted.  
  
Then the wail from the Carter adults as Mary-Lynnette's dad and step-mom Claudine found out that their home was gone and Mary-Lynnette had been caught in the fire and was now dead. Being pushed away from Mary-Lynnette, Ally stood with the chill of death seeming to beckon to her. An accusing glare came from Mr. Carter's matching blue eyes belonging to those of both his children onto Ally's person.  
  
"You did this, didn't you? We invite you into our home and now we've lost Mary-Lynnette and our home."  
  
The attack came so sudden on Ally she couldn't say anything but when her male companion stood in the way between Mr. Carter and her, she only felt guiltier.  
  
"Ally saved Mary-Lynnette from burning to death in your home." Drake defended, rage outlining his aura to an almost blood red that only Ally could see.  
  
"Dad, it's true. Mare would have been burned alive if Ally hadn't saved her. Don't blame her, Dad. Mare didn't." Mark begged standing and taking his father's arm.  
  
"I want you gone and if I ever see you around here again...." Mr. Carter threatened even as Sheriff Akers came up and heard.  
  
"You won't, Mr. Carter," Ally swore, "I never meant to hurt any of you and especially not Mary-Lynnette."  
  
A growl came from Leona, who put an arm around Ally's shoulders and led her away with Drake. Mark could only watch helplessly as the girl he came to love as another sister left. His eyes caught Jade's and she held out her hand in comfort. Taking it in his, Mark knew that things were going to be different from now on.  
  
~  
  
Las Vegas, Nevada  
  
As vividly as if he was there, Ash Redfern saw it. The home of his beloved Mary-Lynnette burning, her body on the leaves outside the presence in the back of his mind that connected him to her, the silver-cord was severed and he felt like he was dying. Like watching a movie the entire thing played back in his mind, as he was watching it happen through Mare's eyes.  
  
Waking up from the afternoon nap she had taken because of how exhausting winter finals were, she headed down stairs in plain jeans, slip on sneakers and a blue sweater that made her blue eyes that much bluer. Hearing the commotion coming from the backyard where Mark, Ally, Drake and Leona were gathering leaves into black plastic bags her eyes rested on the kitchen window above the sink that overlooked the backyard. People she had never seen were crowded around the four she knew with fighting stances that told her they weren't friendly. Grabbing a stake that she had learned to have around whenever she went out, she slipped it into her back pocket of her jeans.  
  
Too occupied with the four that were in the center of the circle, the leader didn't sense Mary-Lynnette open the screen door and close it softly. Standing on the porch not making a sound as she watched.  
  
Ally's face was twisted by anger and such a deep hatred that Mary-Lynnette felt it as if the hatred was something tangible. Usually the girl that she had met only two months ago was easy-going with a acid-tongue when people angered her never had she thought Ally capable of the utter hatred that was directed at the leader.  
  
His presence was etched in her mind. Everything around him seemed to fade into black, that he had such a power over things that despair followed in his wake. Dressed in black from head to toe, a black silk shirt that was unbuttoned half way down his sculpted chest, black clinging black leather pants, and black boots. What caught her attention was how he presented himself as if the whole situation amused him and infuriated him all in one. Black hair that had no shine to it, straight black devoid of a real color, with ivory toned skin and eyes the color of icicles. All his words were directed at Ally, his voice soft almost lover-like.  
  
"Come, Sirena, you didn't think that I would just let you go did you? How very amusing of you."  
  
"Why don't you take a long walk off a short pier?"  
  
"That hurt, sweetheart, really it did."  
  
"What the hell do you want, Loki?"  
  
"What don't I want? To rule, to be on top, to not have interfering teenagers that are too old to play these games around."  
  
"Anyone I know?"  
  
"Funny, Sirena, but let's just say your predicament is a tad different than last time," his voice went from soft to hard in a blink of an eye, "you won't be tricking me again."  
  
"And how is that? Last time I check you were too dense to not fall for a trick."  
  
Mary-Lynnette thought that maybe Ally shouldn't have said that as the second it came out of the girl's mouth the guy, Loki, raised his hand and it was a gang up of people too beautiful to be human which meant vampires attacked. Instantly Ally went into defense mode and the girl easily killed five vampires with the small twig she had kept in her hand from picking up leaves. Even Mark was doing well, until two vampires caught him between them and a blow to the head sent him sprawling to the dirt ground. Leona changed into a huge two hundred-pound lioness in mid-leap onto a pack of five vamps, as green fire seemed to spring from Drake's hand incinerating vampires.  
  
With speed that was inhuman and faster than even a vampire's reflexes Loki had Ally caught against the porch, a hand at her throat.  
  
"Where's your tricks now, you little witch?"  
  
"Why don't you go find yourself a hobby, Loki?"  
  
"You are my hobby, such an imperfect soul. Not human, not creature. You belong no where, you are past being a freak to being an anomaly a bane on life itself. Thinking you can protect that worthless boy from me. Me, Loki."  
  
His grip tightened and as Ally felt blood rush to her head, his grip was gone and Ally caught her hands on her knees to keep herself up from collapsing. To the left of her was Loki on the ground with Mary-Lynnette having tackled him.  
  
"Mare!" Ally screamed, as Loki picked up the human girl and literally threw her into the house. Wood sprayed as the power behind the throw caused Mary- Lynnette to go right through the kitchen wall into the house.  
  
Ally ran into the house only to have a force throw her away from it. Landing in the last instant on her feet, Loki cocked an arrogant eyebrow.  
  
"You're little friend seems to think she can rebel against me to save you. Tell me, Sirena, do you like me killing your friends?"  
  
As he spoke a huge red and yellow light jumped in his hand turning into pure fire as he threw it casually into the house that it exploded upon impact on the wooden roof. Seething with rage, she fought against him landing blows only to have him block the rest with ease. Gripping her thin gray T-shirt he brought her up to him, a smirk raising the corner of his mouth.  
  
"Till we meet again, my sorceress." His lips moved over hers in a kiss that revolved her before he vanished.  
  
Jerking back from his still lingering aura, she immediately thought of Mary- Lynnette and ran into the house blocking out the verbal protests as well as the telepath ones.  
  
Finding Mary-Lynnette's body angled on the kitchen tile floor as flames licked at the building causing wood to come crashing down around them. Gathering Mare in her arms, Ally headed out a spell in her mind that she repeated over and over that dissipated the flames that came within a foot of her as she walked out onto the porch and down the stairs. Mark rushed over and took Mary-Lynnette.  
  
All of it played back that Ally had made a promise to watch him and then Mary-Lynnette had died. To protect that girl, the one that had caused Mare to put her life on the line for someone being sought after by someone whose power was unlike anyone's he had felt before.  
  
Ash Redfern woke up covered in sweat, the covers on the bed of his room in the Elder Thierry's mansion were tossed half way across the room from his tossing at the dream he now knew as truth. The one person he truly loved was dead thanks to a girl named Ally.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
So brings my story...so what did you think? More to come soon. Just the beginning.  
  
~Scandal~  
  
December 2, 2001 


	2. To Protect A Promise

The Firebrand  
  
Chapter One: To Protect A Promise  
  
Written by: Scandalous Behavior  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
4 months later. Los Angeles, California  
  
As sure as she knew that times changed, she knew that she was being followed. It almost had her laughing out loud to think that someone actually had the balls to follow her from her high-class apartment out into the nightlife of Los Angeles. They had to be the stupidest SOB in the world or the most guttiest. It wouldn't take her long to find out.  
  
Her Italian leather boots with a four inch heel sounded off the cold concrete sidewalk as she walked, clothed in a suede black jacket lined with black fur at the collar with a pure silver-white dress on underneath it that swayed around her knees with her every movement catching the moonlight shining down as well as the artificial light of lamp posts. Her legs were clad in white sheer tights with black roses embroidered into the edges along the outside of her legs, a symbol of the world of which she had little use for. The Night World. Where vampires, witches, shapeshifters, and werewolves roamed under rules by Councils. Surprising enough she had to admit the person behind her was probably from that World, seeing her as a snack or a plaything. What would amaze them was that she had no tolerance for beings that thought they were higher on the foot chain because they had gifts. Well, she had gifts too and in times like these they tended to come in handy.  
  
Coming to stop in front of a jewelry store near Rodeo Drive, her favorite street to shop on, her eyes seemed to be appraising the amount of diamonds the winked to her in the shop's browsing window. What she was really doing was waiting for the moron following her to come closer so that she could see the reflection in the glass. One thing was for sure the person following her was not as big an idiot as she first thought, following her across the street and sticking to the shadows. Good but not good enough, she smugly thought, catching the reflection of a woman with long black hair dressed like a ninja with piercing green eyes. If her eyes didn't deceive her she would have guessed that The Cat, the famous vampire slayer, was following her. Not too far back, jumping on rooftops by the moonlight casting shadows was a vampire that seemed not to be stalking the slayer so much as helping her. Disgust sounded in the depths of her mind at the thought of a vampire and a slayer being together. Then again she had lived around worse things.  
  
Turning so her back was to the glass, she had enough of playing games. If The Cat was as good as everyone said she would have no problem with that power she was going to launch at her. It really was an easy spell but would give her a chance to get away without any further interruption when she was already late.  
  
"Light which burns beyond crimson flame, let thy power gather in my hand," her voice leveled and controlled, "Lighting!"  
  
The last part was loud and got the attention of the woman and vampire just in time for the whole block to light up in a light so blinding that both had to keep blinking to keep the light from damaging their retinas. When again Rashel Jordon and John Quinn, now standing side by side, opened their eyes to find the girl they were tracking she was gone.  
  
Cursing under her breath, Rashel shook her head.  
  
"The girl is a witch." Rashel stated, "why didn't Thierry tell us?"  
  
"I didn't sense it," Quinn pointed out, "so he might not know either."  
  
"How come you couldn't sense it? Don't vampires usually have no trouble with that kind of thing?" she asked her black-eyed soulmate.  
  
"Usually but something is cloaking that girl," Quinn informed the slayer, "I couldn't even sense her thoughts. It was almost like she exists without really existing."  
  
"In English, John?"  
  
"Whoever she is, she has more control than anyone I've ever met."  
  
Rashel was startled, something that never if ever happened to her. Quinn had been around since the 1600s and he had never met someone like that girl? What had Thierry got them into?  
  
~  
  
Upon entering the exclusive dance club called Haven, Alanna Monteclair headed to the bar ignoring the appreciative glances she was getting from some of the males in the club. Taking a seat on the leather black stool, she slid her jacket off her shoulder to reveal the white spaghetti strapped dress that laced in the back to make the outline of a rose. Nodding to the bartender, he took her jacket and put it on the coat rack behind the bar.  
  
"What can I get you?"  
  
"Margarita, strawberry."  
  
Only lifting an eyebrow slightly at her order, since this was a Night World club and he had everything including blood. The girl didn't strike him as a vampire, her beauty was unreal but not that haunting like a vampire's was. Mixing her drink, he put it in a glass and handed it to her as she put down a five and turned on the stool sipping her drink.  
  
"Looking for someone, gorgeous?" a smooth voice, asked, causing fire to leap into her turquoise eyes.  
  
"If I was, he wouldn't be you." Alanna sweetly replied before turning her attention to her drink and away from the smart-ass vampire who seemed to pout and go back to his table where three other vamps were.  
  
God she hated this, acting like she belonged in this setting. She hated it. Detested, despised, loathed it. Being part of this world was worse than being a part of the human one. Why had Drake decided to be all moody tonight and stay home? At times she was sure that boy was going to be the death of her, even if such a thing was possible. Leona was singing tonight and that was the only reason she showed up. The lioness shifter had a voice like an angel that outweighed her passable looks from Night World standards. Leona had a cat-grace and a nice figure but nothing special with the minus her voice. Since Alanna could only barely carry a tune although she was apt at playing the piano and writing lyrics she didn't have the vocal cords to be a singer. Chalk it up to having a flaw, something she reveled in. Most people hated having flaws, while she enjoyed them. Flaws made you more real, more personable. One of the reasons she detested vampires above all since they were the models of perfection.  
  
Or maybe because it was one of their kind that did this to you, the thought came into her mind and she had to half-agree.  
  
On stage the lights dimmed and the voice she knew as well as her own flowed over the crowd as the melody started out slow and grew to a dancing rhythm that had everyone out of their seats onto the dance floor. Alanna sat back on the stool, taking short sips of the more fruit than alcohol beverage listening.  
  
Four months and the guilt hadn't gone away. If anything it had gotten worse since she had yet to seek out the person she was promised to look in on. How could she? Out of all people she knew about the pain of losing someone you loved and then to just go up to Ash Redfern and say that she had a promise to keep, it was impossible. He'd blame her as everyone else had even if they hadn't said it in so many words. Mark had been caring when she left and called her at her apartment once a week, his parents forbid him but he did it from the Burdock farm where the Redfern sisters lived. Even in Leona and Drake's eyes accusation was there only less apparent. She knew she shouldn't have made friends again, knew and did it anyone. Hadn't she learned that all her friends from the beginning of her life down had ended up dead sooner than they would have had they not met her. Alanna couldn't count how many innocent people had died by her hand or the hand of the ones hunting her. Loki was right when he said that about how many of her friends had to die before she stopped caring, stop believing that she could beat him and just gave in like he wanted. She couldn't, to do that would erase her reason for living in this world.  
  
So caught up in her thoughts she didn't pay attention to the door that had Rashel and Quinn entering it. Not until the slayer and vampire were standing right in front of her.  
  
"Let me guess," Alanna asked, "you're ticked that I pulled that stunt and want to take me out back and beat me up?"  
  
"What I'd like to do is find out who you're working for? That is one spell I've never heard of." Quinn responded, sitting on the stool next to the girl.  
  
"Must be past your prime, Quinn, if you can't recognize a simple light spell," Alanna replied and saw his eyes flicker with wonder of how she knew his name, "that's right, John Quinn, I know who you are and your soulmate is," Alanna's voice dropped, "The Cat or Rashel Jordon, right? Tell me if I missed something I would hate for someone to accuse me of not doing my job."  
  
Alanna only got them both glaring at her at the implication of them not doing their job.  
  
Giving a laugh, Alanna smiled, "Do you know my name?"  
  
"Anala." Rashel shot back.  
  
Alanna nodded, impressed that they used that name she hadn't used in over a century.  
  
"Name's Alanna Monteclair, which I am sure you found out by it being the name my apartment is under. Alanna is my real name, Anala was one I used a while ago. Kinda goes with the hair, don't you think?"  
  
The amused tone the girl was using had Quinn and Rashel on edge. No one could be that relaxed with people who for all appearances were stalking her. Though her hair did match the name of Anala, meaning 'Flame'. Truthfully neither of them had seen hair like Alanna's. It was a mix of gold and white, like sunlight and moonlight that fell to mid-black without a single frivolous curl or wave with, what seemed out of place, a strip of auburn-red in the front of her hair part of her bangs that was the same length of other hair. It was red, crimson blood red, like someone had dipped it blood and stained the entire part of her hair that color. Her eyes were turquoise, like the jewel that had the same red in them that her hair had.  
  
"Didn't know you had company, Ally, friends of yours?" Leona Roarleaf wondered, coming up to the bar in her gold camisole top and darker gold skin-tight printed leopard pants.  
  
"They were just leaving," Ally's tone was light with an under line of firmness, "if you guys need anything else, like Leona's autograph be sure to leave your number and I'll get you one."  
  
"We aren't leaving." Quinn retorted.  
  
"Oh, no? Silly me," Ally spoke, "cause if you don't tell Thierry to leave me the hell alone I will have to kill you both. Got it?"  
  
Ally's tone was deadly soft. Getting the attention of a pair of couples passing by, witches and vampires.  
  
"He's bugging you again? Thought you talked to him about that?" Leona questioned ignoring the slayer and vampire.  
  
"Swear, he's worse than having no one at all."  
  
Rashel caught the girl's wrist as Ally stood up, Ally glanced down at the firm grip the girl had on her arm to the green eyes.  
  
"Let go, Jordon." Ally hissed.  
  
"Not until...."  
  
Rashel never got to finish what she was saying as her mind exploded in pain, which in turn due to the soulmate connection hurt Quinn. Rashel saw colors and then horrific painful spasms raked her body. Rashel dropped her connection on Ally's skin, Ally had remorse in her eyes for a split second before it disappeared behind aggravation.  
  
"I told you. Now listen and listen well," Ally informed the two, "stay the hell out of my way. That was a taste, a very small taste, of what I can do to your mind if you touch me again. Maybe Thierry didn't explain to you Daybreakers but I am only fifteen years younger than himself," that got both their attention, "which makes me a hell of alot older than either of you. I've got decades of talents stored away that you wouldn't believe so back off, children, because your messing with the big guns and those water pistols you use aren't going to phase me one bit."  
  
The bartender handed Leona and Ally their jackets and the two walked out. Leona grimaced as when Ally got out of the club her whole body was racked in pain from using the pain that had once been inflicted on her transferred to Rashel and Quinn. It was a trick Ally didn't use often because it physically hurt her but it did the trick hands down everytime.  
  
"Keep it up, Ally, and people won't have to wonder if you are sane or not."  
  
"Shut up, Leo. When I get home remind me to maim Drake for acting like a teenager," Ally inhaled and stood up straight again as they walked to Leo's canary yellow Kia Sportage, "he's older than me and still acts like a kid."  
  
"Really you both are kids, Ally-cat, no matter how long you've lived. If they hadn't done what they did you both would be dust by now. Never allowed to grow up, have kids, get married..."  
  
"Please, you make me sound like some idealistic human. I'm not naive, Leona," as the shifter pulled out of the parking lot, "I know my limitations."  
  
"Then may I suggest you use them. You are no good to me or Drake if you decide to pain yourself up on memories."  
  
"Fine. Take away my fun."  
  
Leo smiled at Ally's finally teasing tone. That was the Ally she knew for the past seven years. Unlike Drake and Ally she had a life span of a mortal. Shifters weren't immortal like vampires and it was only by accident that she had met the two powerful old beings all those years ago. No one understood either of them when Ally had decided to try school again on a whim, teasing and congealing Drake into it and only because Leona was a hard headed freshman at the time she met Ally. Ally was beautiful in a way that made vampire beauty seem gaudy and over done. Although Ally was immortal she wasn't vampire, witch, dragon, or human just a combination of all four. More the three latter than the former because Ally never called herself human. Once she remembered the girl saying that humans loved and were loved. Humans had hearts and hers had died when she was still a mortal seventeen-year-old. When Leo had asked about that Ally would only shrug and say it was a long time ago. Deep inside Leona knew that Ally wanted to be loved and love in return, which was why the girl had friends that died for her. They truly loved her. Anyone could see that being what Ally was tore her up inside, while Loki and a certain vampiress tore her up on the outside. The pain that she sometimes saw in the girl's eyes was enough for her to lose her breath in shock. In the name of the Sacred Goddess Sekhmet, lion-headed fire goddess, no one be them mortal, immortal, or otherwise should have had to endure the things that Ally had. To protect above all the boy they lived with Drake. Otherwise known as Archemorus Draco, the Dragon Lord. As she pulled into the underground parking garage, Leona wondered just why Thierry was sending people after Ally again after all this time.  
  
~  
  
Las Vegas, Nevada  
  
The man in question, Thierry Descouedres, sat behind his mahogany desk as soon as the white double door of his office closed from his meeting with Rashel and Quinn. Fingers drummed on the top of the desk as he thought what had he been thinking to make Rashel and Quinn go on that job without letting them in on who Anala, correction Alanna was. Sensing their disappointment and curiosity at his still not telling them exactly who the girl was, he felt the smallest measure of guilt.  
  
Hannah was the only one who knew about Alanna. Strange that she was using that name again, he thought, when in all the time he had kept tabs on her through the years she hadn't gone back to the name of her birth. It made him proud, if just for an instant, that she had. Though her last name needed work.  
  
Standing up, he pushed his chair back and strode through the thick white carpet of his office with a hand raking through very light blond hair that fell neatly over his forehead. Pacing before the windows that overlooked the massive pool, maze and water fountain of the back yard that was filled with his guests.  
  
Why did he always get so upset when he heard her name? It wasn't like they were close, quite the opposite in fact. She detested him with the burning hatred of a thousand suns if he remembered right from the last time they had met. Her hatred hurt, not that he didn't deserve it. Alanna had every right to hate him, the thoughts ran through his head, he was the one after all that made her a puppet and changed her life.  
  
Hannah, his soulmate, understood. She had even been there in one of her reincarnations when he met up with Alanna, then going by Liana, and begged her to understand. She had scoffed in that way that drove him nuts, told him he knew nothing of what she had been through and left. Liana had been Hannah's close friend in that reincarnation in Ancient Rome making her wonder about him when Maya showed up and ruined everything. A bonus was that Liana was there, that he had seen Maya take delight in reminding Liana of her duty to Maya. A duty to protect and then that horrible spiteful woman had grinded Liana into the ground by bring up something he never knew.  
  
Remembering the words that Maya told Liana he was surprised the girl didn't break down right then and there.  
  
"Befriending Theorn's little woman? I had thought I taught you better than that."  
  
"Why should I listen to you, Maya? As far as I am concerned you are not worth my time."  
  
"You had better make time for me, Liana, because that boy of yours needs me to help you both."  
  
"How dare you use him in this? What you are doing to Anora and Theorn is bad enough but don't think for one minute I'd let you tell me what to do because I protect your prodigy."  
  
"I think I was right to make Red Fern," Maya referred to her first-born lamia son, "marry that girl. She was very futile and gave him many sons, not someone with your tiny bone structure could have, don't you think Liana?"  
  
Since the girl had been on her way out, Liana stopped at the name of the man she had loved whole-heartedly.  
  
"You had to say it, didn't you?" Liana accused with a sob forming in her throat.  
  
"How anyone like you could be my son's soul mate is beyond my understanding. You are weak, Liana. Weak. To find him in your arms planning to run with you was enough."  
  
Liana turned her body sideways so that she could glance at the malicious woman.  
  
"You staked him. You, his own mother. To spite what you hate most of all. Love. You hate it because you want Theorn because you can't have him since he will never love you like he loves Anora or her reincarnations. All your plans are for not, Maya, because good always wins. If you couldn't have them then she can't either, is that not right? You care for no one and nothing only yourself. Red Fern loved me and I loved him. That his loyalty to you was tested you staked him in front of me."  
  
"He was my son. My son. I know that he loved you, had felt that connection to you in his mind but what did that get him? Nothing. You are worth ten of any person on Earth yet you weep for my son who had his purpose of providing me a legacy. Your purpose is greater and yet you are still weak in heart. Give it up, Liana. Not you and not Theorn will ever escape me."  
  
"Perhaps not. Yet we have one thing that you never will have. Each other. Theorn and I are connected as he is to Anora. Do what you must but know that."  
  
Thierry could feel the smile that had lit up his face that time because it was true. They had each other. Alanna may hate him now but she was as connected to him as he was to her. The problem now was making her see that.  
  
He needed her power behind him now more than ever. If they were to find the last Wild Power he needed someone with power all her own. Maybe he used the wrong tactic but he had to do something. When Ash had lost Mary- Lynnette, her brother had called here to talk to Ash but Thierry took the call. That Alanna had promised to come make sure that Ash didn't try anything more stupid than the day when he took a stake and had to be forced down to the ground by Jez Redfern, Morgead Blackthorn, Delos Redfern and James Rasmussen in order to get the stake away from his heart. No one understood better what it was like to lose your soul mate better than he did, he lost Hannah over and over again for hundreds of years. Only one other person understood and that was Alanna, as he knew she didn't know he did about Red Fern. With her promise he would make her come to him and help Ash because if she didn't he was afraid Ash would succeed in killing himself to be with Mary-Lynnette.  
  
~  
  
Waking up the annoying bell ring of the clock beside her bed, Alanna slammed her hand on the off button and rolled over on her bed only to have the covers yanked off her and the curtains pulled open to reveal that four extra people were in her room that weren't supposed to be. Sitting up instantly, Alanna realized she was in white satin pajamas with three females and one male staring at her.  
  
Seeing the male, Alanna launched herself at him with speed that kept the vampire girl, vampire slayer, and panther shifter from moving as she slammed her entire weight of about a hundred ten pounds into Thierry sending them hard into the wall next to her bedroom door.  
  
"Morning, Firebrand." Thierry pleasantly greeted, as though she wasn't pinning him to the wall with an unholy mahogany fire in her turquoise eyes.  
  
"How the hell did you get in and what are you doing here, Thierry?"  
  
"The lioness is contained downstairs and your charge is being a lot less resistant to us than you are."  
  
"Answer my question, Fangs, or I swear...."  
  
"Easy, Ally, I just want you to come with me is all."  
  
Backing off, noticing the defense stances of the three females Alanna folded her arms over her chest.  
  
"Where? Last time I checked I lived in Kansas and Oz wasn't somewhere easy to get to."  
  
"Taking a limousine makes life easier."  
  
"Sure, I bet it does, Kenobi," Alanna sneered, "tell the Charlie's Angels that I'm not in the mood to kill them or they'd be dead already."  
  
Thierry nodded to the girls, who still warily watched Alanna having heard from Rashel just what damage to a person the petite girl could do.  
  
"Ally this is..."  
  
"Raksha Keller, leader of a team that has the best rep for Daybreak on missions who is a panther shifter. Jezebel Redfern, the first found Wild Power being half vamp and half human and Rashel Jordon the vampire slayer known as The Cat."  
  
Thierry wasn't surprised that Ally knew about them, as he kept tabs on her she had done the same thing a bit differently but the same.  
  
"I don't know if I should be impressed that she knows us so well or that she does period. We aren't exactly America's Most Wanted." the red headed Jez Redfern commented.  
  
"Then be neither, like I give a shit.." Alanna saw Thierry's warning look and sighed, "fine. I'll shower and change and be right down."  
  
Lifting a wheat-colored eyebrow at her, Alanna rolled her eyes.  
  
"Where am I gonna go? I'm on the second to the top floor which is the forty-ninth floor. Not even I am that good."  
  
"Fifteen minutes, Ally, no more."  
  
The girls left, the panther with grey-eyes watched closely before leaving. Alanna headed to the shower and took a short one before coming out and dressing in a pair of turquoise leather pants that were tied in the front rather than zipped or snapped with a white mid-drift shirt with turquoise lettering that said: Did I Say You Could Bite Me? along with a matching turquoise leather jacket. Walking downstairs she wasn't surprised that besides the four were five other people that looked just like lackeys. At seeing what her shirt said Thierry shook his head as all the vampires snickered.  
  
"Old fashion kidnapping, how cute." Ally drawled.  
  
Leona was still in last night's clothes and Drake looked like he was enjoying himself that Ally shot him a dirty look.  
  
"Chill, Ally-cat, it's not like Thierry's gonna hurt us." Drake assured.  
  
"Right, and I'm the freakin tooth fairy. Can we just go already?"  
  
In the lobby it had to be interesting from a human's point of view to see all these unnaturally beautiful people walking in a large group and heading into three different limos.  
  
On the trip to Vegas, Ally just watched the outside. Sensing Rashel's eyes on her, Ally sighed.  
  
"I'm sorry about the other night, I got a little out of line and shouldn't have done what I did. And Quinn, too. Forgot about the link soul mates have and in any case it was wrong of me to use that on you."  
  
Thierry saw Rashel see the sincerity that Ally said it and Rashel nodded her acceptance.  
  
"Forgot about the link soul mates have? Do you have a soul mate?" Jez inquired.  
  
"Once."  
  
As Jez was about to ask more, Thierry silenced her with a glare. Ally caught it and elbowed him.  
  
"You know, some people don't always do as you say, oh Elder one."  
  
"Just you, Ally."  
  
"Lucky me, so does that mean when I get to that huge mansion of yours I can rag on you and call you all kinds of names in front of everyone?" Ally asked excitedly like a kid.  
  
"Try it, little one, and I'll have to have you hosed down."  
  
"Party pooper. By the way, how's Hannah? Still keeping you in line and what not?"  
  
The girls were amazed how easily the girl talked to Thierry. Most of them were still a little in awe of him and then this petite acid-tongued girl acted like they were the best of friends.  
  
"Hannah is doing fine, very anxious to see you."  
  
"She remembers me?" Ally asked and at his smile continued, "gee, she must have got all her memories back. Good for her. Hey, did I ever tell you I was glad you both put Maya where she belongs?"  
  
"Happy to see her go, huh?" Thierry teased lightly.  
  
"Happy is too mild a word. Ecstatic, overwhelmed, positively envious that good old Hannah gave it to that bitch."  
  
"Gee, Ally, don't hide your feelings tell us how you feel."  
  
"Fine. Like I wanted that manipulative conniving malicious heartless creature to be around one second longer on the planet that I am? Just as long as you boiled her ashes in oil and added feathers when you were done."  
  
"Girls, I think we forgot something."  
  
"Good thing I'm coming to redify that, huh?" Ally laughed.  
  
~  
  
Ally had forgotten when they left the big city lights of Las Vegas how great Thierry's mansion was. The place was a mansion that kinda reminded her of Southern plantations, with black rose bushes and the stained glass windows with black roses in the center of them gave no doubt this was Thierry's home. Everything was elegant yet not too over done that she always hated leaving it.  
  
Thierry remembered how she loved the house, after all Ally was the one that had sent along the plans and had it built. Although they didn't really speak to each other they never forgot about one another. Drake whistled at the house, remembering it from the plans only and Leona had never seen it. Entering the house by Thierry's butler/limo driver Nilsson which dressed like some of the other vamps like he belonged in the FBI or CIA, Thierry was immediately hugged and kissed by a girl with long straight fair hair and clear gray eyes with the strawberry mark slanted beneath her left cheekbone that was the absolute sign of who the girl was. As everyone filed around Ally saw the soulmates of the girls enfold them in embraces, that left Ally a little uncomfortable that Drake put an understanding hand on her shoulder.  
  
Hannah Snow let go of her soul mate and love turning to see the familiar petite girl that Hannah instinctly loved so much it was rivaled only by the love for Thierry.  
  
"Oh, Alanna, you haven't changed at all." Hannah announced before hugging the girl, who returned the hug.  
  
"I'm happy to see you, too, Hannah. I'm glad you are seventeen, too." Ally winked.  
  
"Me, too. Drake, how nice to see you again and this must be Leona," the ingrained hostess immediately sprang into action, "we are so pleased to have you with us."  
  
"Seems that anyone is allowed here now, doesn't it?" the scornful voice of Ash Redfern echoed and caused quiet in the foyer.  
  
Ally took in that he had to be Ash, no one else could be so surrounded by the dark blues of sorrow and black of revenge. His hair was the golden hue of a leopard with eyes that reminded her of Maya's, constantly changing color. He was lithe, gorgeous, with the Redfern arrogance in every angle of his body. Mary-Lynnette always said he reminded her of a lazy, graceful cat that knew it attracted people and did it on purpose. Ally had to agree but this Ash Redfern was a mess emotionally that his grief was practically knocking her off her feet at the waves it rolled over her mind.  
  
"You blame me, right?" Ally challenged having known that she would meet up with him.  
  
"Why wouldn't I? You and your stupid mission killed her. Why couldn't it have been you?" Ash demanded coming down the stairs as Ally removed herself from the others and stood at the bottom.  
  
"You want to kill me, go right ahead. Always ready for something that has never happened yet."  
  
"Don't antagonize him." James Rasmussen said, with small Poppy North at his side.  
  
"Why not? I'm sure everyone is sick of him feeling sorry for himself and he being a selfish child because there couldn't possibly be anyway that he could survive without her, right? Tell me, Ash, that's what you think right? That you can't live without her, well I've got news for you that people go there entire lives without finding their soulmate. You were lucky, no...you were blessed to have found yours and have been loved by her. To try to kill yourself as I am sure you've been trying to do isn't going to bring her back and do you honestly think that Mary-Lynnette would want you to do that?"  
  
Ash practically pounced on Ally sending her to the marble tiled floor as every one watched, Thierry knowing that Ash had to get passed this. Ash pinned her to the ground by her wrists, so many emotions played in his eyes she had to try to keep from falling into them.  
  
"Don't say her name. Because of you she's dead. You. As sure as you killed her with your own hand. Don't tell me those things and think it makes one bit of difference that I live and she doesn't. You killed her, destroyed our bond and now seek to lecture me on what I should be feeling and doing. You deserve death, you."  
  
His tone was awful. Full of malice and hatred.  
  
"Fine, then I suggest you stake yourself right now and go to your precious Mary-Lynnette, Ash, because the rest of the world doesn't need your grief it's got enough of its own. Because unlike you, whose kind can die by wood, I can't be killed. Try it and you'll see. Now get off me you pathetic fool."  
  
Ally pushed him off and glared at him as everyone watched amazed at the two of them.  
  
"Hate me, loathe the ground I walk on but remember that you weren't there to protect her and I was. So if you're going to blame someone accept some blame on yourself."  
  
Ally got up and walked straight through to the back of the house that shook as she slammed the delicate French door after her.  
  
~  
  
Ash had headed straight to his room after the huge fight he had with Ally in front of everyone. Feeling ten times a fool for taking it out on her like that, he cursed that some of the things she said were right. How could she know about his loneliness, his despair. She had no idea, that girl or whatever she was had no clue and yet she would lecture him on what to do about it. Staking himself had seemed the right way to end his misery but after being held down by his friends he couldn't bring himself to do it again. She was right in that, Mary-Lynnette wouldn't have wanted him to kill himself.  
  
As much as he'd like to kill Ally he knew he wouldn't. All the times Mare had called and bragged about Ally it was like the girl was Mare's long lost sister. As much as he'd like to hate her, he couldn't do that either. She was as much in grief for what happened as he was, he had seen it in her eyes as he had been posed above her looking into her liquid jewel eyes. Plus Thierry had a connection he wasn't talking about to Ally, which meant even if he did kill the girl who thought she was unkillable Thierry was sure to kill him.  
  
Unable to sleep, he tossed his blankets to the end of the bed and got up to the small balcony that connected to his room and went to stand out there for a while. It was a peace to him for the last months to just let go and pretend that everything was okay. That Mary-Lynnette was still alive and waiting for him to redeem himself enough to go back to her. Though he never thought he was able to redeem himself enough to deserve her. She was pure innocence and goodness while he.....he wasn't sure but it wasn't innocent and no where near the good she was. Then to find out about Ally, who seemed to have as much as a past as him being Mare's best friend was strange. He was almost jealous of their relationship since he knew the girl wasn't human. To him it was natural that when Mare died to blame the person who had replaced him for a time, been Mare's friend when she needed one. Although Ally couldn't fill the other part, of being the one that fulfilled Mare's female nature, she was still involved in Mare's life that he could never have been. He wasn't capable to be. That was what pissed him off about Ally. She was there and he wasn't. Which made her last statement damn him as much as it did her. If he had been there would he have been able to protect Mare any better than Ally had and the answer haunted him.  
  
~  
  
Ally hung out by the pool, putting her feet in the water and laying back on the gray stone walk. Why was she so hard on him? So utterly brutal? It didn't make sense for her to be so cold. Hell, she had been there done that when she lost Red Fern. Practically did everything but stake herself. Nothing worked, nothing took the anguish away. Crying helped but didn't heal. For years she blamed herself for loving Red Fern, he was a vampire whose mother cast spells, took blood and made his soul mate into a freak.  
  
Turning over, letting the moonlight tan her as if it was sunlight she crossed her arms on the gray stone and leaned her head on her arms. God it hurt. The pain of losing him was a knife wound that festered every now and then. Nothing near to losing him over and over again as Thierry had Hannah but close enough. Alanna had resented that Thierry got second chances with his soul mate when vampires were never reborn. Childish to be sure but since when had that ever stopped her from carrying a grudge?  
  
Hearing laughter and voices, Ally rolled onto her back and lifted her feet from the water, which had turned them like prunes. As she stood a voice called to her and she couldn't make her quick escape.  
  
"Hey, Ally, right?" Galen Drache, the Prince of the First House of the Shifters, called.  
  
"Right."  
  
"Water warm?" Keller asked, already in a bathing suit.  
  
"Yeah, must be the Nevada air."  
  
"Gonna take a swim?" Maggie Neely, the soulmate of Prince Delos Redfern asked.  
  
"No. Have to get some sleep, Lord Thierry says that I will be beaten with a poll if I'm not downstairs at seven tomorrow morning."  
  
Delos gave nodded as Maggie grinned.  
  
"Thierry is so great, how do you know him?"  
  
"Oh he and I go way back. See you all in the morning."  
  
Sidestepping any more possibilities of running into more soulmate pairs she headed to her room, collapsed face down on the tranquil blue comforter before turning over and falling into a deep-troubled sleep. At least she had come to keep her promise, came her last thought.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Well, chapter 1 all done. Anything interesting to add? More upcoming!  
  
~Scandal~  
  
December 2, 2001 


End file.
